Milling-machine.



C. L. G-RU'HMANN.

M'LLING MACHINE.

AE'PLIGTION HLBD JAN. 21, 1909.

Patented 0011.4, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

C'. L. GRUHM'ANN.

MILTLL'MGv MACHINE.

JAN. 21,1909.

APPLICATION FILED Patented @c di, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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CARL L. GROHMANN, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO PRATT &XVI-IITNEY COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

MILLING-MACHINE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 4., i910.

Application filed January 21.1909. Serial No. 473,518.

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Millingl Machines, of which the following is a;specification.

*This invention relates to milling machines one of the primary objectsof the invention being to provide a machine of this type wherein thetendency to bend is greatly reduced as compared with ,certain existingforms of such machines with which I am familiar. l

The machine possesses other advantageous features which with t-lieforegoing will be set fort-h at length in the following descrip- .tionwherein is outlined in detail that form of embodiment `ofthe inventionwhichI have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying andforming part of this specication..

Referring to said drawings, Figure l is aA side elevation ofva millingmachine involving my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical secti0ii on theline 2--2 of'Fi 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional plan view of thehead and column, and, Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4 4. ofFi 3.

The figures are on di lerent scales and My improvements .althoughsusceptibleof lgeneral application are of prime utility whenembodied ina vertical spindle milling machine as represented in full in Fig. 1.'

Such a machine comprises a bed as 2 and a column as 3 rising from saidbed the former being equipped .with a work-support or tains the cutterspindle may take various forms the one illustrated being denoted iii ageneral way by 5, the column 3 being provided with ways as 6 tosupportaiid guide said head 5 during the several vertical adjustmentsthereof. Said ways 6 it will be observed practically extend to the bed 2by virtue of which when the head 3 is in its lowest adjustment' it willbe substantially supported; in other words at such time there is nooverhang of said head.

The cutter spindle may be of various forms; that represented is denotedby 7 and as the saine in itself forms no specific part -spindle issimilarly adjusted.

of the present invention it is unnecessary to describe the same. indetail, any more than to state that it is rotatively supported by and is'bodily movable with the head 5 so` that when the head -is adjusted thecutter Associated with said cutter spindle 7 is a driving elepnienttherefor; that illustrated being denoted in a general way by- 8 andbeing preferably although not essentially of compound form in that itcomprises two sub elements,

whereby variations in speed of said spindle can be secured. In thepresent case there is no relative movement between the cutter 4spindle 7and the driving element 8 by reason of which I can reduce the flexingtendency of said cutter spindle tol its least possible eXtent. Millingmachines usually have a cutter spindle anda driver therefor the spindlehaving a driving slidable connect-ion with the driver for purposes ofadjustment, the consequence being the greater the adjustment of said oldspindle the greater the fiexing tendency therein. The spindle 7 isprovidedwith the usual tool-holder 9 with which the' customary tool orcutter is conneeted and in the present case it will be clear that therelation between my cutter, spindle and spindle driver never varies sothat I am enabled to secure the advantage stated. Therefore to adjustthe tool toward oi from the work it is necessary that the head 5 beadjusted the spindle partaking always of the adjust-ments of said head.

While I havev termed the part S a driving element it is in turn drivenby other mechanism as will hereinafter appear, and it is shown asconsisting of a gear 9 and pinion 10, the latter having a hub as llpinned or otherwise suitably connected to said spindle for rotationtherewith. To said hub ll is fitted the gear 9, said gear and pinioncon. stituting part of a. suitable speed -varying mechanism. The'cutterspindle 7 may be held longitudinally immovable in any desii-able manner;for example by several eollars all denoted b v l2 bearing against thehead interiorly and exteriorliv thereof.

I have shown as within' the head 5 and in proximity to vthe spindle 'i'a shaft 13 endwise movablein bearings as 14C and l5 of tubular .formfandillustrated as forming parts of the bottom and top respectively of saidhead. The said shaft 13 is shown as having pinned to its upper end acollar 16 Vwhich has a sliding' movement in theupper bearing l5 fromwhich it will be evident that said shaft has an endwise or longitudinalmo\vement and this action l utilize in the present case for alternatelyputting into mesh gears on said shaft 13 with the gear 9 and pinion"lhere is shown as iitted to saidshaft 13 an elongated sleeve 1'? whichmay be and is shown as loose on said shaft although it is slidablethereonl for a purpose that will hereinafter appear. Said sleeve 1T isshown as equipped with a rigid pinion 18 and a ffearll). The upper endof said sleeve 17 is shown as bearing against the coll-ar 16 while thelower end thereof rests upon ar ycollar as 20 suitably fastened to saidshaft 13. lt therefore follows that when said shaft 13 is adjusted thepinion 1S and gear 1) will be corresponuingly adjusted. ln Fig. 2 the'oinion 18 is shown as 1oifing in mesh with the O'ear 9. To increase thespeed of the spindle T the Vgear 1S) will be vput into mesh with thelpinion 10 it being` of course evident that the gear 19 is greater indiameter than the pinionv 18. The adjustment of said pinion 18 and gear19 accomplished through the endwise movement of the shaft 13 and l willnow describe the means shmvn for thus op- 30V i' i as having rack teethor a rack portion 21 @rating said shaft Said shaft 13 is shown withwhich` meshes pinion as rigid on a roch-shaft as @El supported foroscillation by the head l have shown as rigidly connected with one endofsaid rock-shaft 23, a lfandle or 'crank arm' 2st provided near its'free'cnd with the' familiar spring plunger 25 to alternately enter theperforations or seats '2G and qin said head 5 to maintain theresa/)estive adjustments of said shaft 13. The spring plunger is shownin Fig. 2 as being in the upper seat 26 the consequence being that thepinion 1S is held positively in mesh with the gear 9. To increase thespeed fthe spindle 7 the plunger will be removed irom said upper openingand the handle 24 swung to the limit of its adjust, ment or until saidplunger can enter the lower seat 27 at 'which time said plunger issprung into said lower seat to positively' hold the r ir i9 in mesh withthe pinion 10 which' relation was securedby the upward movement of thesleeve 17 by manipulatior of Ysaid handle Q4 acting through the intermediate described partsu lt will be perceived that the collar 1G issomewhat closely litte'd and slidable within the upper tubular bearing15 and owing to the factthat thiscollar is in proximity to the pinion'18 the latter when inA action is- Aefl'hctually supported againstvlateral motion this bearing l'being aided in steadying the shaft 17 bythe suitably-supported inember 13 which it will be remembered has a theshaft 17 is elevated to put the spur gear' 15) into mesh with the pinionS) the pinion 155 is received within the said tubular bear ing 15.

The vertically movable head 5 is represented vsupporting a second shaftas being provided with suitable bearingsfor the purpose. Loose on saidshaft 281s barrel or elongated pinion as 29 and with which the gear 19is always in mesh, this result being secured by making said barrelpinion of a. length lequffiling the range adjustment of said gear 19which is aclvantageous owing to the fact that there is all times adriving relation between the said pinion 29 and the gear 19. This barrelpinion although freely rotative is longitudinally immovable suchcondition being maintained. in the present case by position ing it bi'Yeen two of the relatively lined bearings lor saidshaft 2S. The `barrelpinion 29 is shown kas being in meshwith a. pinion as 3o whichpreferably has a splined connection with a shaft as 31 illustrated asvertically disposed and as approxin'iately coextensive with the column3. The pinion 30 is represented as furnished with an elongated hub 3 2supported for rotation in a bracket or bearing as 33 rigidly connectedas by screws or bolts SLL with the head 5 said hub being preferablyprovided with a collar as bearing against the underside of said bracket553, a bushing 3G being usually interposed between said hub 52 .andbracket The pinion 30 has a sliding movement on the shaft 31 from nearone end thereof to near the other end thereof by reason of which a greatrange of adjustment of said head is secured thereby adapting the machineto widely dili'erentsizes of work. The shaft 31 is continuouslyrotative; that is it is in motion while the inachine is in action but 1do not 'deem it necessary to describe the means'for operating said shaftalthough one of the elements,

namel" the bevel Gear'' is illustrated.'4

work` of' al milling machine is done while the head thereof is in theneighborhood of the Awork support of whatever nature these 'members maybe. In Fig. 1 l have shown the head 5 as being practically at its lowestlimit of adjustment and it will beevident substantial bearing in thetube 14. lVhen that when the head is in such' position the machine whilethe stock may Vvary in depth the head is at no time so close to thework- Sutport as to make the fiexing tendency of sai shaft anundesirable factor. O-f course there is more flexing tendency in saidshaft when the head is moved upward vthe saine increasing to its maximumwhen said head .is at the limit of itsl upward adjustment.

Vhile therefore I reduce t-he tiexing tendency of said shaft 31 to anegligible amount during the major period of operation of the machineI'provide for a great range of ad'- justment of the head 5.

I provide means as will now appear for turning the gear members 9 and 10with respect to the coperating gear members 18 and 19 whereby I caninsure when necessary a proper mesh between the respective cooperativegear members. Ihe head 5 is shown as supporting for endwise rotarymovements a manually-operable spindle 38 provided at its lower end witha. knob or equivalent operating device as 39. I have shown as fastenedto the upper end of this spindle a pinion 40' which is represented aslocated within the hollow head 5 and as cooperative with the spur gear9. Said pinion 40 is normally out of mesh with said 4,spur gear 9, thisrelationbeing preferably secured by a spring as-41 of coiledtype'surrounding .said spindle 38. The lower end of the spring bearsagainst the 'hub or body of the knob 39 while the upper end thereofbears against the head 5 said spring being normally under tension tonpositively hold the gear or pinion 40 in its normallyinoperative'po'sition or that shown in Fig. 4. The spring 41' is shownas' being inclosed by the sleeve 42 flanged at its upper end and rigidlyconnected at said end with said head; the spindle as will be obvio-usextends through said sleeve 42. Should it beneces sary to have recourseto the pinion 40 it is elevated to put itI into mesh with the spur gear9; should there be any din'ieulty in getting said pinion into mesh withsaid spur gear the di'lliculty can be easily remedied by turning saidpinion, it being understood that the shaft or spindle 38 to which thepinion is connected is capable of rotation. After the pinion 40 is inmesh with said spur gear 9 the latter and hence the pinion 10 can beturned by .the operator to put the said two last mentioned partsaccurately into mesh with the coperative power driven gear members 18and 19.

I have described in detail that form of embodiment of the inventionshown in the accompanying drawings so that as stated those skilled inthe art can successfully practice my invention. I do not restrictVmyself to the disclosure thus made for many variations may be adoptedwithin the spirit of my invention as expressed by my claims.

It will be perceived that the spindle 7 is non-endwise movable withrespect both to the head and the driving element 8. It is customary inmilling machines to have a double adjustment, one a rough or primaryadjustment to carry the tool nearly to the work or vice versa necessaryand the other the line or finished adjustment. By the pcculiar mountingof the spindle I can obtain both of these adjusti'nents from the head.The several back gears are also inclosed in the head by reason of whichthey will be -elfectually protected while the shaft 31 and itscoperating parts are inclosed in the col# umn The latter it will beobserved is vertical and the head 5 travels vertically or up and downsaid column and in a path par allel to the spindle. 7 and shaft 31erlotherwise stated in a direction'parallel to the axes of motion of saidspindle .7 and shaft 31. In securing an adjust-ment or adjustments thereis therefore no movement whatsoever of the spindle 7 longitudinally withrespect either to the head 5 or the dri-ving i element for said'spindle.

1. In `a milling machine, a head, aeutter spindle rotatively supportedby said head, a pair of rigidly connected gears rotative with saidspindle, an endwise movable shaft provided with a collar, the headhaving a tubular bearing to slidably receive said collar, and tworigidly connected gears fastened to said shaft and of differentdiameters the endwise movement of the shaft being adapted to vary themeshed relations of the two sets of gears and to also carry one of thegears thereon into said tubular bearing.

2. In a milling machine, ay head, a cutter spindle rotatively supportedby said head, two rigidly connected gears of different diametersfastened to said spindle, an endwise movable sha-ft, a pair of rigidlyconnected gears fastened to said shaft for shifting movement therewiththe movement of the shaft serving to vary the meshed .relation betweenthe two sets of'gears, and alcollar at one endK of the shaft, the headhaving a tubular bearing to receive said collar and also having abearing for the other end of Asaid shaft the latter 'on the endwisemovement thereof in one direction being adapted to mcve one cf the gearsthereon into said tubular bearing. 4

3. A milling machine comprising a head, a cutter spindle rotativelysupported by said head, a pair of rigidly connected gears of differentdiameters connected with said spindle for' rotation therewith, anen'dwise movable shaft, il pair of rgidv e nneced gears also el diereutdiameters shai on its movement serving to vary the mashed relationbetween the Wo sets ef geals, a collar fastened to Sai@ Shaftj andadjacent to the smaller gem the'ecm said collar being located near oneend of the shaft, a ubuim bearing for sngyreeevng seid eolle and foralso receiving he smalef gear en I l l i testmenjjf whereof my sgnaue inpresence of wo Witnesses.

CARE; L; GRQHM* M. W. ANDERSQN.

